[Awclist] Factual errors in RRFW Riverwire - GROUPS SUE TO PROTECT GRAND CANYON

[David Yeamans]

Having lived with this issue night and day for the last 9 years I 
know a little about it. I wish the litigants well -- theirs is not a 
trivial or wrong cause -- but I should point out major factual errors 
in their first public announcement so that the public won't be led 
astray. My comments are interspersed below.
Dave Yeamans
Charter Member, Adobe Whitewater Club
Member, Grand Canyon Working Group of the National Parks Overflights 
Advisory Group
President, Grand Canyon Private Boaters Association

>"The distribution of use is so skewed that public river runners have 
>little or no chance of ever gaining a permit through the proposed lottery.

The chances are always above zero. How far above zero isn't known 
yet. The recently expanded "public" use of the river has greatly 
increased people's chances of being selected in the lottery. The 
public has half the use and the concessions contractors have half the 
use now that the latest Colorado River Management Plan has begun.


>In addition to the Park Service's failure to remove motorized tour 
>boats and helicopters in a qualifying wilderness area, ....

It is not clear that Grand Canyon National Park can ban helicopters 
from flying over the Park. Courts ever since enactment of Public Law 
100-91 in 1988 have not ruled against overflights in general or 
specifically. The FAA has invoked flight rules, court tested, and the 
helicopter tours remain. The GCWG has been meeting for a year now and 
has two years to go before "solving" the noise issue of overflights. 
I sit in these meetings as a member of the group. There are lawyers 
galore and agency staff on all sides. Congress writes us letters to 
curry our favor. And still the helicopter tours remain. Whether a 
rigid stand by Grand Canyon National Park can eliminate overflights I 
don't know but I doubt it. At any rate, the courts may be able to 
help in the case of air tours (but not before 2008 -- the Working 
Group has to be given a chance to work before the courts take that 
one on). But in the case of helicopters at Whitmore Wash -- no way. 
That's Hualapai land and not part of the National park. I doubt that 
the courts would order NPS to guard their borders with SAMs to 
prevent incursions. But that's just a guess.

Yours in defense of the truth,
Dave Yeamans

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